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5 of the best emperor size mattresses, beds, bedstead and divans - 2020
Emperor mattresses are huge, but there doesn't seem to be complete agreement on quite how huge they should be:
Perhaps the G8 will address this important issue soon, but in the meantime I would just make sure you get the tape measure out to avoid an awkward moment with the delivery company.
We've picked out five of the best emperor size mattresses and beds on the market in the UK, based on specification, value for money, reviews and awards:
- Posh brand Vispring sell 'emperor' mattresses which are 200cm x 202cm (about 6 foot 5 inches) and 'large emporer' mattresses which are 217cm x 215cm (about 7 foot)
- Award-winning pocket spring company Harrisons Spinks sells 'emperor' mattresses which are 200cm x 200cm
- John Lewis & Partners 'emperor' mattresses are 210cm x 210cm (just under 7 foot)
- Royal mattress supplier Hypnos seems to vary depending on where you buy it. Hypnos emperor beds at Land of Beds are listed as 215cm x 215cm (7 foot) whilst The White Company sell emperor mattresses which are 200cm x 200cm.
Perhaps the G8 will address this important issue soon, but in the meantime I would just make sure you get the tape measure out to avoid an awkward moment with the delivery company.
We've picked out five of the best emperor size mattresses and beds on the market in the UK, based on specification, value for money, reviews and awards:
1. Soak & Sleep Wool 2000 Pocket Sprung Emperor Mattress (200cm x 200cm) - firm tension - £830
**Special offer: get 20% off when you sign up to the Soak & Sleep mailing list**
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This Wool 2000 mattress is one of the cheaper Emperor sized mattresses we've managed to find but it's certainly worth considering.
It's sold by retailer Soak & Sleep which get great reviews on Trustpilot and it has a decent specification if you're after a pocket sprung mattress, which is what most of us sleep on. It's got 2000 pocket springs and it's a firm mattress which means that it is ideal for a heavier person. There's no industry agreement on what 'soft' 'medium' or 'firm' actually means, but a high spring count offers a greater level of support which is more important for heavier people. At the time of writing, only the firm version of the mattress is available in Emperor size. Other signs of quality include a substantial depth (28cm) and what's known as 'tufting' on top which is the button-type things which hold it together. It comes with a 5 year guarantee, which is good but not sensational in the mattress market. Soak and Sleep also offer a 100 night trial period as long as you use a mattress protector (check the terms and conditions). |
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Need Emperor sized bedding? Try Amazon or Soak & Sleep
2. Vispring Plymouth Supreme Pocket Spring Emperor Mattress (200cm x 200cm or 215cm x 215cm) - medium tension - £1499/£1699
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Let's have a respectful round of applause for Vispring, which invented the pocket sprung mattress more than a century ago. They've remained one of the poshest and most respected brands in the mattress market with some models costing more than my car (check out the £6000+ options at John Lewis & Partners).
They've won best mattress brand from Which? several times and are so confident in their own quality that this mattress comes with a 30 year guarantee. The Vispring Plymouth Supreme is one of their cheapest but it's still got several signs of quality including something called 'hand side stitching' which stops the sides being too squishy, and a decent spring count. At the time of writing, it was scoring 4.3/5 from customers although there hadn't been many reviews. It's classed as a 1200 pocket spring mattress, which is within what most mattress experts consider the normal range for a good quality mattress (1000-2000 springs is the usual range, but you only really need 2000 springs if you are very heavy). |
Vispring is a prestigious brand which sells emperor and large emperor mattresses
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Just to add further confusion, the 1200 number refers to how many springs you get on a king size mattress so there are actually more like 2000 springs on the emperor version (are you keeping up?).
You should turn this one 'with the seasons'. As before, bear in mind that this is a heavy mattress which weighs 75 kilos in super king (more than 12 stone) and 78 kilos in emperor. Please don't put your back out whilst trying to turn it over...
This model doesn't come with a divan base. If you want an emperor Vispring mattress with an emperor sized divan base, there's a good choice at And So To Bed which range from about £4000 to (take a deep breath) £42,000.
You should turn this one 'with the seasons'. As before, bear in mind that this is a heavy mattress which weighs 75 kilos in super king (more than 12 stone) and 78 kilos in emperor. Please don't put your back out whilst trying to turn it over...
This model doesn't come with a divan base. If you want an emperor Vispring mattress with an emperor sized divan base, there's a good choice at And So To Bed which range from about £4000 to (take a deep breath) £42,000.
3. J Marshall No. 4 emperor mattress (200cm x 200xm) - medium tension - £1639 or £2358 with divan base
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J Marshall is a sub-brand of Vispring, which is probably the most prestigious mattress brand in the UK.
This particular model - The J Marshall No 4 - is something of a celebrity in the mattress world as it was named Bed of the Year at the National Bed Federation Awards 2019. That's the main industry awards in the thrilling world of beds. It isn't actually as pricey as you might imagine when you consider the decent specification and the fact that this includes an optional divan base or just the mattress if you prefer. Buying the bundle saves the hassle of searching around for a base which will actually fit your new mattress. |
The J Marshall No.4 Mattress. Definitely not a prequel to Mambo No.5.
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The J Marshall Number 4 is a medium tension mattress which is generally recommended for people of average weight and build. The theory is that you should sink into a mattress enough so that you have a nice straight spine. An eight stone jockey probably won't sink in enough on a medium mattress so might be better with a softer mattress.
As you'd expect, it uses pocket springs, which is the posher way to make a sprung mattress. Open coil mattresses are the cheaper alternative which you'll find on a £100 mattress or in your grandma's spare room.
It's got two layers of springs including 1600 normal sized pocket springs and another 1500 mini springs. The bigger springs do most of the heavy lifting (no offence) whilst the mini springs add a bit of extra comfort. The key thing is the number of pocket springs (1600) which is a high number which will provide a good level of support.
It has a 'pillowtop' which is an extra layer which is fixed to the mattress to offer a bit of lovely squidgy comfort. In a cheap mattress, pillowtop layers are filled with synthetic materials but in a posh mattress like this they are full of natural materials like 'pashmina, soft bamboo, alpaca, cashmere and silk'.
This model comes with a 10 year guarantee. That's above average for a pocket spring mattress but not as long as the massive 30 year guarantee you get with some Vispring mattresses.
As you'd expect, it uses pocket springs, which is the posher way to make a sprung mattress. Open coil mattresses are the cheaper alternative which you'll find on a £100 mattress or in your grandma's spare room.
It's got two layers of springs including 1600 normal sized pocket springs and another 1500 mini springs. The bigger springs do most of the heavy lifting (no offence) whilst the mini springs add a bit of extra comfort. The key thing is the number of pocket springs (1600) which is a high number which will provide a good level of support.
It has a 'pillowtop' which is an extra layer which is fixed to the mattress to offer a bit of lovely squidgy comfort. In a cheap mattress, pillowtop layers are filled with synthetic materials but in a posh mattress like this they are full of natural materials like 'pashmina, soft bamboo, alpaca, cashmere and silk'.
This model comes with a 10 year guarantee. That's above average for a pocket spring mattress but not as long as the massive 30 year guarantee you get with some Vispring mattresses.
4. Harrison Spinks Thornton British Wool Mattress (200CM X 200CM) - Various FIRMNESS options - £2050
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Harrison Spinks is a posh mattress company which makes mattresses under their own name and also for the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection.
This emperor sized mattress certainly isn't one for our cheap mattress guide but you do get plenty of customisation options and a good specification for your money. As you'd expect for this price, it has a high pocket spring count which means it will offer plenty of support. There are 5000 pocket springs in total, although that's more than you can fit onto one layer on a mattress so there will be more than one row of springs. It uses natural materials and has other signs of quality, such as hand side stitching which is manufacturing technique which stops a massive collapsing like a custard slice when you sit on the edge. Unusually, you can pick how firm you want this mattress when you order it, ranging from 'gentle' (presumably a synonym for soft) through to very firm. The general rule is that heavier people need a firmer mattress than lighter people. Harrisons Spinks average score on TrustPilot was 3.3/5 when we checked. |
The Harrison Spinks mattress comes in several firmness options
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5. John Lewis & Partners The Ultimate Collection Goat Angora Emperor Pocket Spring Mattress (210cm x 210cm) - medium firmness, £7200
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Alright, alright, calm down. I realise £7000+ is an eye-watering amount of money to spend on a mattress but I've included it to give you an idea of what you get when you pay top prices (well, actually the top priced mattress in this collection is £18,000...).
John Lewis & Partners Ultimate Collection is made by a British mattress company called Harrison Spinks. They're one of the top brands and were named best manufacturer at the National Bed Federation Awards in 2014 and 2017 and they were a runner up in 2018. It includes a staggering 24,000 springs in the king size model (or more than 33,000 in the emperor model) although it's important to realise that this means there are several layers of (mostly small) springs rather than loads of springs on one layer. Besides the huge spring count, the main thing you are paying for is the impressive number of natural materials it uses which include 'Horse hair, Egyptian cotton, British fleece wool, Yorkshire wool, Goat angora, Silk, Cashmere (and) Tree silk'. With that in mind, I would say this isn't a good choice for people who suffer with allergies as natural materials tend to gather dust more than foam mattresses. This massive list of natural materials also makes it the heaviest mattress I've ever seen at 129kg. That's more than 20 stone so keep that in mind as you need to turn it over 'with the seasons'. Perhaps they assume people with enough money to buy this mattress can also afford to hire a forklift truck or a local rugby team. It comes with a 7 year guarantee. |
This emperor mattress has more than 33,000 springs
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Best places to buy bedsteads, bed frames and divan bases for an emperor mattress
Some online mattress retailers sell emperor sized mattresses with a divan base included (e.g. And So To Bed sell Vispring emporer divan sets). However, if you just want a bedstead (also called a bed frame) or a divan base then your options include:
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Alternatively, you might go for a mattress which comes with a base. The obvious advantages are that you only have one delivery to deal with and you can be confident the mattress and base will actually be the same size.
Frequently asked questions about emperor mattresses and bed sizes
What is an emperor size bed?
The most common sizes for emperor size beds are 215cm x 215cm (approximately 7 foot x 7 foot) or 200cm x 200cm (approximately 6 foot 5 inches). There is some variation in what a mattress company means when they say 'emperor' and in some cases they offer a 'large emperor' and a standard 'emperor' mattress.
Which is the biggest bed you can buy? Is there a larger mattress than a king? Is super king the biggest bed?
The biggest bed you can buy is an emperor bed which is even bigger than a super king size. A typical UK super king size mattress is 180cm wide and 200cm from top to bottom. Most emperor beds are 215cm x 215cm (approximately 7 foot x 7 foot) although some 200cm x 200cm mattresses and beds are also referred to as emperor beds.
You could, in theory create a larger bed by getting two zip and link mattresses and zipping them together but you would struggle to find a base which would be large enough for the bed.
You could, in theory create a larger bed by getting two zip and link mattresses and zipping them together but you would struggle to find a base which would be large enough for the bed.
